Exeter Hall: differenze tra le versioni

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==History==

[[19th-century London|London in the 19th century]] was the most populous city in the world, and yet its indoor meeting places were inadequate. The largest, the [[Freemasons' Hall, London|Freemasons' Hall]], could only fit about 1600 people, so a consortium decided that it was time to build a larger venue. Exeter Hall was erected between 1829 and 1831 to designs by [[John Peter Gandy]],<ref>[[Howard Colvin]], ''A Biographical Dictionary of British Architects'', 3rd ed. (Yale University Press, 1995), ''s.v.'' "Gandy, afterwards Deering, John Peter". Exeter Hall was one of his last architectural commissions before inheriting a fortune, adopting the additional surname Deering and retiring to the country as a gentleman.</ref> the brother of the visionary architect [[Joseph Michael Gandy]]. The hall was built on the site of [[Exeter Exchange]], which had been famous for its menagerie of wild animals; prior to the Exeter 'Change, as it was known, the site had been occupied since the 16th century by part of [[Cecil House|Exeter House]] (formerly Burghley House and Cecil House), the [[Townhouse (Great Britain)|London residence]] of the [[Earl of Exeter|Earls of Exeter]].

The official opening date for Exeter Hall was 29 March 1831. The façade on The Strand featured a prominent recessed central entrance behind a screen of paired [[Corinthian order|Corinthian columns]] set into a reserved [[Georgian architecture|Late Georgian front]] of housing over shopfronts. The smaller auditorium could hold around 1,000 people, and the main one, more than 4,000.<ref>Anon, ''Random Recollections of Exeter Hall, in 1834–1837; by One of The Protestant Party'', James Nisbet and Co., (London), 1838, p.7.</ref>

Exeter Hall hosted religious and philanthropic meetings, including those of the [[British and Foreign Bible Society]] (founded in 1804), the [[Protestant Reformation Society]] (founded in 1827), the [[Protestant Association]] (revived in 1835), and the [[Trinitarian Bible Society]] (founded in 1831). The [[Peace Society]] (founded in 1816) used the hall to hold their twentieth anniversary meeting on 25 May 1836.<ref>{{cite book |author= Society for the Promotion of Permanent and Universal Peace | year = 1836 | title= The Herald of Peace, July 1836 |publisher= Ward & Co. | ___location = London |language=en}}</ref> The meetings of the [[Anti-Slavery Society (1823–1838)|Anti-Slavery Society]] (founded in 1823) took place there, and such was the significance of these political meetings that the phrase "Exeter Hall" became a metonym for the [[abolitionism in the United Kingdom|abolitionist lobby]].<ref>{{cite book |last = Storrs | first = Sir Ronald | year = 1945 | title= Orientations |publisher= Nicholson and Watson | ___location = London | page= 88 }}</ref>

Significant events there included a huge seven-hour public meeting hosted by the [[South Australia Company]] on 30 June 1834 to support the establishment of the free colony of [[South Australia]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.exploringaustralia.com.au/history.php?s=adel|title= Colony Built On A Dream|website=ExploringAustralia.com.au|language=en}}</ref> On 10 May 1871, "a meeting in support of the foreign missions of the [[Free Church of Scotland (1843–1900)|Free Church of Scotland]], and of the [[Presbyterian Church of England]]" was hosted in Exeter Hall. The former [[List of governors of Punjab (British India)|Lieutenant Governor of Punjab]] in [[Presidencies and provinces of British India|British India]], [[Donald Friell McLeod]], presided over the meeting, which featured speakers such as Rev. [[H. L. Mackenzie]], of the Swatow Mission in China (now transliterated [[Shantou]]).<ref>"PRESBYTERIAN MISSIONARY MEETING". ''The Free Church of Scotland Monthly Record''. 1 May 1871.</ref>

In addition to its primary function as a meeting place, Exeter Hall was also the headquarters of the [[YMCA]] (founded in 1844), a concert hall for the [[Sacred Harmonic Society]] in 1834, and the venue from 1848 to 1850 of the [[Wednesday Concerts]]. [[Hector Berlioz]] first conducted concerts there in 1852, and again in 1855.<ref>[http://www.hberlioz.com/London/BLExeterHall.html Berlioz in London: Exeter Hall].</ref><ref>{{cita libro|autore=Chitty, Alexis|curatore=George Grove|titolo="Wednesday Concerts"|url=https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/A_Dictionary_of_Music_and_Musicians/Wednesday_Concerts|anno=1900|editore=[[Macmillan Publishers]]|città=Londra|lingua=en|opera=[[Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians]]}}</ref>